Cruel Summer Season 3 in Development

Variety reports Hulu and Freeform are developing Cruel Summer season 3 with Olivia Holt returning as Kate Wallis.

Cruel Summer Season 3 in Development with Olivia Holt Returning

Variety reports that a third season of Cruel Summer is in early development at Hulu and Freeform. Olivia Holt would star again as Kate Wallis and serve as an executive producer. New showrunners Cori Uchida and Adam Lash will lead the series, with Jessica Biel and Michelle Purple returning as executive producers under Iron Ocean. Lionsgate TV will produce. Reps for Disney declined to comment.

Season 2 shifted to an anthology with a new cast and a different showrunner after creator Bert V. Royal departed after filming the pilot due to creative differences. The second season was not as well received as the first, and Freeform canceled the show in 2023. The third season would bring Holt back to the Kate Wallis role, signaling a return to the core dynamic that defined Season 1.

Reviving Cruel Summer with Holt back is a bet on familiarity over novelty. It could draw in old fans and attract new viewers who enjoy a strong mystery, but it risks reviving the baggage from Season 2 and the earlier creative disagreements.

The move shows how streaming platforms mix nostalgia with fresh talent to navigate a crowded market. If Uchida and Lash deliver a tighter, more cohesive arc and the team aligns with Holt’s return, the revival could rebuild trust and renew interest. If not, the project might become another cautionary tale about revivals that struggle to find a new rhythm.

Highlights

Time will tell if the return finds a new rhythm for the familiar story.